250 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [14] 



viduals, equal to a total of nearly 2,000 pounds, all of wbieli, however, 

 with the exception of a few specimens, saved as a curiosity, were thrown 

 away. The weather continuing fine, with light winds, two more sets 

 were subsequently made under sail, the first of these about 3 to 4 miles 

 (lat. 40° 04' X., long. 70° 17' W.), and the last some 10 or 12 miles In an 

 easterly directiou from the position where the Tile-fish were first taken. 

 On each of these trials some of the Lopholatilus were caught, though 

 the chief part, however, were taken on the last haul in the deepest water 

 reached by the trawls, ranging from 100 to 130 fathoms, the position 

 being lat. 40° 00' K, long. 70° 04' W. 



In the mean time Captain Kirby had some of the new fish cooked, 

 and as they were (as he says) the finest fish he ever ate, he decided to 

 save and salt all that he might take thereafter. Accordingly, those 

 caught on the two last-mentioned sets were split and salted in kench, 

 like codfish, a single specimen only being saved in ice. 



Not having met with satisfactory success in taking cod or hake in the 

 trials above described, few or none of these species having been caught, 

 Captain Kirby went farther to the eastward, and finally anchored in a 

 depth of 120 fathoms south by east from the light-ship on the South 

 Shoal off Nantucket, in which locality no Tile-fish were captured. 



On the arrival of the vessel in port, the salted Lopholatilus, about 

 2,000 pounds in all,* were sold to Messrs. George Friend & Son, who 

 smoked a portion of the fish and disposed of the remainder as oppor- 

 tunity offered, giving away, however, many of them to neighbors and 

 acquaintances. 



7. — ACCOUNT OP THE CAPTURE OF TILE -FISH BY CAPTAIN DEMPSEY. 



In the published description of Lopholatilus is also the following no- 

 tice of a second capture of this species by the schooner Clara F. Friend, 

 Captain Demijsey, of Gloucester, which occurred a short time subse- 

 quent to that which has just been described. 



"Capt. William Dempsey, of Gloucester, has since furnished nine 

 fresh specimens of this Lopholatilus, and the following information : 



'"The fish were caught with menhaden bait, in July, 1879, while 



* It will be noticed that there is a decided difference in the amount of Tile-fish said 

 to have been taken by Captain Kirby in the i>ubli8hed account already quoted and that 

 given here. I am satisfied, however, that the latter is the most nearly correct, since 

 the statements obtained from Mr. Friend relative to this matter coincide with those 

 made by Captain Kirby. Talcing into consideration, therefore, that these fish, in a 

 salted condition, did not weigh much more than two-thirds the amount that they 

 ■would have weighed when fresh, and also including the 2,000 pounds which were 

 thrown away, it will' be seen that a total of at least 5,000 pounds of Tile-fish were 

 ciinght on only a small portion of 4,000 hooks that were set three times. The great 

 ixbuudauce of the Loj)holatilua in that locality in' 1871) is, therefore, apparent. It is 

 altogether probable that a vessel setting 12,000 hooks, which is about the average 

 number, and placing those to the best advantage on the Tile-fish ground, would have 

 taken anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 pounds on a single set of the trawls. 



i 



